Transfusion services lab opens at hospital
The Blood Center of the St. Johns recently sponsored an open house to celebrate the grand opening of the Transfusion Services Laboratory at Flagler Hospital. Located on the third floor of the Doctors' Building, the main role of transfusion services is the provision of blood products to be used for patients in the hospital.

Dance group sets two camps
There will be two opportunities for local dancers to participate in camps this summer, based on skill level.

SABDA celebrates with 'Spring Flowers'
"Spring Flowers" will be the theme for the St. Augustine Ballroom Dance Association at its Saturday ball at the Riverview Club. Emily Mier, JoAnn Reed and friends will decorate the ballroom.

News & Notes
The Richard J. Murray High School Class of 1963 will celebrate its Fabulous 40th reunion June 27 through 29. Tickets for the banquet and dance are $30, and deadline for purchasing them is June 15.

Brockovich files suit
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Erin Brockovich's law firm filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against more than 25 oil and gas companies, alleging that toxic fumes from an oil well on the Beverly Hills High School campus caused 21 former students to develop cancer, including three who died of the disease.

Corn and seafood are great together
Fresh corn is a favorite food that comes increasingly to mind as spring and summer prompt a change to lighthearted foods, for outings and cookouts.

Recipe Finder: Potato salad dressing
Anna F. DeLattre of Ebensburg, Pa., wrote: "When we were all living at home, my mother made the best dressing for her potato salad. It somehow got misplaced, and no one in the family can remember how she made it. We do know she cooked it, and that's about all. I sure would appreciate if one of your readers have it."

Dr. Donohue: Silent gallstones can be left alone
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have been diagnosed with gallstones, which were seen on an ultrasound. My doctor told me I could go home and decide when to have my gallbladder removed. My question is what the dangers are of waiting awhile to have it done. I do have pain, but it is minor when I watch my diet.

June 11, 2003
The following real estate transactions were recorded at the St. Johns County Courthouse recently. The list is complied by Equifax, and amounts of sales are based on documentary tax stamps.

AP investigation: 3,240 civilians died in Iraq war
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Someone has taped together the shredded binding, as if that could fix the horrors inside. There are pages bathed in dried, reddish-brown blood, their letters smeared and unintelligible.

Police Report: Two men arrested
Two men were arrested Tuesday night after one posed as a police officer while the other went into a woman's home with a gun and a baseball bat, according to a report from the St. Augustine Police Department.

Father Varela moves closer to canonization
JACKSONVILLE -- Cuban-born Father Felix Varela, a reformer, philosopher and scientist who spent his youth in St. Augustine and died there in 1853, moved closer to being declared a saint Wednesday.

City fills new Neighborhood Council post
The first Neighborhood Council coordinator has been hired -- long-time St. Augustine resident Cathy Ledford DuPont, city officials announced late Wednesday afternoon.

Neighbors: Remembering Hazel Crichlow ...
Correction on last week's column: Dot Maronel writes us, "Betty Mickler is married to Frank Shoals, not to John Howland." I have known Betty and Frank for years. Her sisters are Juanita James (Joe James' widow) and Jeanne Young. Her father was Dan Mickler, for whom the Mickler-O'Connell Bridge is named. Most people call it the "312 Bridge."

staugustine.com: Archive
The name of the First Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization was incorrect in a story on Page 1A in Wednesday's edition.

Police Report: Neighbors: Remembering Hazel Crichlow ...
Correction on last week's column: Dot Maronel writes us, "Betty Mickler is married to Frank Shoals, not to John Howland." I have known Betty and Frank for years. Her sisters are Juanita James (Joe James' widow) and Jeanne Young. Her father was Dan Mickler, for whom the Mickler-O'Connell Bridge is named. Most people call it the "312 Bridge."

Fatal crash reported
A traffic fatality occurred inside the World Golf Village on South Legacy Trail late Wednesday night, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Duplex setbacks to come before county
The St. Johns Board of County Commissioners will review changes in the South Anastasia Island Overlay District to address problems people have had when building duplexes.

Police Report: Aggravated assault charge
A man armed with a rifle warned a woman "it was too late," as he loaded it in front of her home Monday night, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Aline Kopf
Aline Kopf, 94, of St. Augustine, died June 7, 2003, at Flagler Hospital. A native of Keegan, Maine, she had resided in St. Augustine for most of her life. She owned and operated a motel. She was a former member of the Flagler Hospital Auxiliary and a member of San Sebastian Catholic Church.

Roberta Greene Hall
Roberta Greene Hall, a St. Augustine native and descendent of Revolutionary War officers, Gen. Nathaniel Greene and Maj. John Erwin, passed away peacefully of a heart attack at home June 8, 2003 while in the care of her cousin, Col. Lynnette Kennison, a nurse practitioner at the Mayo Clinic, and Lynnette's husband, Stan Gutshall.

The people have spoken
Mayor Gardner recently expressed disappointment that no one but the principals came out to the city's street performer workshop they finally got around to holding. A dozen city commissioners have promised street performer workshops since 1991 but this is the first one ever held.

Perspective: Capitalism's 'deal' breaks down
The fall of communism 14 years ago was not the end of history, despite Francis Fukuyama's famous prediction. It was, though, pretty much the end of the argument, in most of the world, about the best way to organize society. The answer (despite quibbles over the details and a surprisingly resilient minority preference for theocracy) is democratic capitalism.

Perspective: Iraqis rebuild their nation -- from the ground up
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- After the government of Saddam Hussein collapsed April 9, the world watched as Iraq fell into chaos. Looters attacked many government buildings and cultural institutions, giving the world a terrible impression of Iraq and the Iraqi people.

The New York Times' institutional arrogance
WASHINGTON -- The series of fabrications that resulted last week in the resignations of the two top editors of The New York Times is a calamity for all of American journalism.

Letter: Gold Star Mothers ignored
Editor: Gold Star Mothers is an organization made up of women whose sons were killed in military combat during service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Recently a delegation of New York State Gold Mothers made a trip to Washington, D.C., to discuss various concerns with their elected representatives. There was only one politician who refused to meet with these ladies. Can you guess which politician that might be? Do you know anyone serving in the Senate who has never showed anything but contempt for our military? Do you happen to know the name of any politician in Washington, D.C., whose husband once wrote of his loathing for the military? Yes, it's Hillary Clinton. Hillary refused repeated requests to meet with the Gold Star Mothers. It's common knowledge that, in order for her to establish New York State residency, Hillary and draft-dodger Bill Clinton purchased a $1 million-plus house in upscale Chappaque New York.

Letter: Dulaney's spirit lives on
Editor: A month ago, one of my angels left this Earth to a home of rest, Dr. Carol Dulaney. In my heart, I could not let another day go by without saying thanks to Dr. Dulaney.

Letter: School near Guana would destroy environment
Our School Board members have shown who they are. After listening to many citizens voicing concerns over the Guana Wildlife Refuge being on the Northeast St. Johns County site selection recommendations for a new high school location, the board voted 4-1 to keep it on the list of three potential sites.

Tiger and the S word
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. -- Since Tiger Woods last won a major, he has been in an operating room, in a Scottish blizzard, in a lot of tall grass and occasionally infuriated with his driver.

A late start for some at this U.S. Open
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. -- Brad Faxon was trying out a utility driver that might be a good fit for Olympia Fields. Tom Kite was hitting the last few balls on the practice range.

U.S. Open is not fair; that's why it's fun
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. -- The best thing about the U.S. Open is not the way some of the world's best players hack through a golf course as if it were an Ecuadoran rain forest, though there certainly is great sport in watching that. You haven't lived until you've seen a touring pro with vacant eyes and a clump of rough the size of an oven mitt stuck to his 5-iron.

Robinson: Sloppy finals will turn into better series
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The NBA's two finalists have no larger-than-life superstars who command our attention. Their games so far have been discombobulated, charmless affairs. The TV ratings are terribly low, and so are the final scores.

Opponents trying to remove offshore inventory from bill
PENSACOLA (AP) -- Opponents laid plans Wednesday to remove from the Senate energy bill a proposed inventory of oil and natural gas reserves they say could lead to lifting bans on drilling off the shores of Florida and many other coastal states.

TaxWatch says it is unable to find turkeys in budget
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida TaxWatch said Tuesday it looked but couldn't find any local projects known as "turkeys" in the state budget lawmakers passed last month, the first time in more than a decade the spending plan's been free of hometown pork.

Mars rover to look for evidence of water
CAPE CANAVERAL -- A rocket holding the first of two Mars rovers blasted off Tuesday on a seven-month voyage to the red planet, where the golf cart-sized vehicles will search for evidence that there was once enough water to support life on Mars.